'Satellites show Iran moving quickly to rearm Hamas'

 

Israeli intelligence satellites have spied the loading of rockets and other material in Iran believed to be destined for the Gaza Strip, the UK-based Sunday Times reported, citing Israeli officials.
According to the report, Iran began preparing the weapons shipment around the same time Israel and Hamas negotiated a cease-fire late last week.

The shipment is said to include Iranian made Fajr-5 medium-range rockets, the same model that was fired toward Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during Operation Pillar of Defense, the Sunday Times reported.

Last month, following an air attack on a weapons plant near Khartoum, the Defense Ministry’s director of policy and political-military affairs accused Sudan of acting as a transit point for weapons shipments to Gaza. Amos Gilad accused Khartoum of aiding and abetting terrorism, and said the Sudanese regime was “supported by Iran” and was used as a route to transfer weapons to Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip via Egypt.
Sudan accused Israel of attacking the military plant.
The Sunday Times report also cited Israeli officials speculating that Iran could be moving longer-range ballistic missiles into Sudan, which could be aimed at Israel from the African country.
The official added that Tehran would act to re-arm Hamas and other Gaza groups quickly, as it sees them as a necessary part of its response to a possible Israeli attack against Iran.

Courtesy: The Jerusalem Post

ARAB/NAZI COLLABORATION IN WWII

Israel's 'Iron Dome' defense: Here's how it works

 

• Produced by Israeli-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Iron Dome is meant to shoot down rockets and artillery shells with ranges of up to 45 miles. It has been operational since 2011.

• How it works: The system detects launches of rockets and quickly determines their flight path. If it is headed toward populated areas or sensitive targets, it fires an interceptor with a special warhead that strikes the incoming rocket within seconds. Rockets headed toward open areas area allowed to land.

• Currently, five Iron Dome batteries are deployed in Israel. Most are located in the south near Gaza. A fifth battery was deployed outside Tel Aviv on Saturday, two months ahead of schedule. Hours later, it shot down a rocket headed toward Tel Aviv.

• Missiles cost around $40,000 a piece. In 2010, the U.S. provided $200 million to expand development. Additional funding is currently being considered, with $70 million already allocated for the 2012 fiscal year.

• The system is part of what Israel calls its "multilayer missile defense". It is meant to protect against the tens of thousands of short-range rockets possessed by militants in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Israel has also deployed its "Arrow" missile defense systems for long-range threats from Iran. The military says its new "David's Sling" system, being developed by Rafael to stop medium-range missiles, will be activated by 2014.

Courtesy: The Associated Press

Hamas Missile Launch Pad next to Mosque, Playground. Civilian Factories and Gas Station

 

By Aaron Klein
TEL AVIV – A missile launch site in the Gaza Strip was set up by Hamas just half a block from a mosque and children’s playground, according to aerial photographs provided to KleinOnline by the Israel Defense Forces today.
Israel on Wednesday carried out a surgical strike of the site in question – a Fajr-5 missile launch pad established in the heavily populated Zeitoun district of Gaza to fire long range rockets into the Jewish state.
The photograph of the launch site, posted above, shows a children’s playground and a mosque located about a half a block away as well as two civilian factories and a gas station also within a half a block radius.
In a new development, Hamas today said it fired a rocket toward Jerusalem. Air sirens were heard in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Security sources confirmed one rocket had landed in the Gush Dan region just south of Jerusalem.
Abu Abdullah, a spokesperson for Hamas’ so-called military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, told KleinOnline today the rocket fired at Jerusalem was aimed at the Knesset, or Israel’s parliament.
Abdullah also claimed Hamas was targeting the official residence of Israeli President Shimon Peres with the Jerusalem rocket fire.

Read More: Klein Online

WikiLeaks: Israel planning 'major war' against Gaza and Lebanon

As the WikiLeaks documents continue to be digested by the global media community, it was revealed that the Israeli military has been planning for a 'major war' against its adversaries in Gaza and Lebanon.

With Israeli aircraft striking targets in Gaza on Sunday - as Israeli and Hamas spokespeople confirmed to CNN - it is not difficult to imagine the linear progression toward a more massive conflict between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza. And the Israeli military's plans for a "major war" were discussed openly with a US congressional delegation late in 2009, according to a Jerusalem Post report on US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.

Israeli military sources have counted more than 235 armed projectiles - missiles, rockets, and mortar shells - that were fired from Gaza into Israel in 2010 alone, and it was this concern that prompted the Israeli military leadership to explain its larger-scale military planning.

In addition to the proactive military planning, it was also revealed by the WikiLeaks documents that and Iranian rocket attack on Israel would only allow a 10-12 minute period for Israeli defenses to prepare and to respond. However, the larger threat to Israeli military planners appears to be found in Hamas-controlled Gaza and Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon.

READ MORE


Courtesy: DIGITAL JOURNAL